Küünipüha

Küünipüha, also known as the Feast of Candles, is an Estonian folk holiday celebrated on Candlemas. Candlemas falls on February 2nd, which is the 40th day after Christmas. Traditionally, this day marked the midpoint of winter and was seen as a turning point, with the days beginning to lengthen and the promise of spring on the horizon.

The name Küünipüha directly translates to "candle holiday," reflecting the central role of candles in the day's observances. It was believed that lighting candles on this day would bring light into the dark winter days and ward off evil spirits. Families would often light candles in their homes and sometimes even carry them outside. The day was also associated with weather prognostication. Stories and proverbs often linked the weather on Küünipüha to the weather that would follow, predicting the length of winter or the coming of spring. For example, a common belief was that if the sun shone brightly on Küünipüha, winter would last for another six weeks.

While not as widely celebrated today as it once was, Küünipüha remains a part of Estonia's cultural heritage, remembered for its connection to the changing seasons and the symbolic importance of light during the darkest time of the year. It offers a glimpse into historical agricultural life and the ways people marked the passage of time and sought to influence the coming seasons.